CORE D: RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT - SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The Research Development Core D provides support for Pilot Projects for junior faculty, or more rarely, more senior faculty who wish to enter the field of aging. Pilot Project Support fulfills two main objectives. First, as shown from our record of past performance, they can be an important part of the support for junior faculty who are embarking on new projects that may not yet have achieved outside funding. Second, and less often, they can play a similar role for more senior faculty who are changing career objectives in order to study the basic biology of aging for the first time. The total award budget is $90,000/yr, distributed as (typically) 6 individual awards. The large majority of awards will be targeted to candidates outside our region. These awards will provide fully subsidized access to our Research Resource Core services, necessary reagents and supplies, mentoring by a senior faculty member, and for external recipients, travel expenses for at least one visit to our Center. This activity is directed by the Core Leader in concert with the Executive Committee of our Nathan Shock Center. We present 1) a plan for the advertising, review and selection of investigators to receive support, 2) a plan for administration of awards, 3) a plan for the career development of individuals who will be selected for these positions, 4) a list of senior faculty who will participate in research career development. We will demonstrate that our institutions are able to provide adequate resources for the support of the research efforts of junior investigators, and a plan for monitoring their progress and development towards career objectives.